Popovers made using Toronto’s Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse recipe.Danielle Matar/The Globe and Mail
My steak-loving grandson – who has eaten a lot of steak in his young life – insists that the most interesting experience and the best food is at Jacobs and Co. Steakhouse in Toronto. When I go with him I am always impressed by the huge tasty popovers that greet you when you arrive. Popovers are a particular favourite of mine because I grew up with Yorkshire pudding and they are just another version.
Popovers can be very finicky – not rising enough, falling when you take them out of the oven, sticking to the tins – but, using Jacobs' recipe, we have come up with foolproof popovers. The secret is using room temperature ingredients, preheating the pan and letting them continue to cook for the full time given below even if they start to look very brown.
Although I dislike non-stick sprays, I do find they work very well for popover removal. Otherwise, oil the tins very well before you preheat them then let the baked popovers sit for 2 or 3 minutes before removing them.
Serve them with steak, roast beef, sausages, as a treat with a bowl of soup, or for a decadent snack, on their own. The roasted garlic butter is wonderful, but you could serve them without it.
Making it? Instagram the results with the hashtag #cooklikelucy
Servings: 10
Ready Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Popovers
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups flour
4 eggs, beaten
1½ teaspoons salt
½ cup grated white cheddar
Roasted Garlic Butter
½ cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons roasted garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
Method
Preheat oven to 375 F. Place muffin tin on a baking sheet and in oven for 10 minutes to get hot.
Heat milk and butter until warm but not boiling or scalding. Stir together flour, eggs and salt in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in warmed milk mixture, whisking thoroughly until batter is smooth.
Strain through a fine sieve into a jug.
Pull out warmed muffin tin and spray with cooking oil. Pour batter into each cup, filling to top. Sprinkle lightly with cheddar. Fill any unused muffin cups halfway with water to create extra steam in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Rotate tin in oven and bake for another 22 minutes or until brown and popped. Remove from oven and carefully lift popovers out of tin while hot.
Combine butter with roasted garlic and oregano. Serve popovers warm with Roasted Garlic Butter.
Lucy Waverman